Hi everyone,
I’m going through a bit of a dilemma about bowling balls. I’ve been bowling about 3 years, primarily at the same house and have always coached myself (I am an unorthadox bowler). I managed to finish with a 194 average last season and I’ve shot a 299 in league, in 2006. I took the summer off, for the first time since I began bowling in 2003, and while I don’t think my skills have went down, I am not shooting that well so far this fall. The house I mainly shoot at changed their oil pattern over the summer and I’m paying the price this fall. I’m okay at adjusting most of the time, but this adjustment forces me to bowl how I don’t feel comfortable (over 3rd arrow generally instead of 2nd, like I generally shoot).
With the bowling ball selection I have, I can’t go 2nd arrow and consistently hit the pocket (it hits too high or goes left). Instead of trying to bowl how I feel uncomfortable, I’ve decided it’s time to get a bowl appropriate for this bowling alley. I need a ball that hooks LESS – for the first time ever. I’m not used to going downhill, and the only ‘scale’ that I can find for a bowling ball’s hook power is bowlingball.com – they have a “perfect scale†for every ball that helps determine which balls hook more, etc.
Out of the balls I’ve liked the most, a “perfect scale†of 185 seems to work about right, or at least it used to. I had an AMF Velocity and Columbia Backyard Bully. I tend to like AMF balls the most. I am eyeing the AMF “Radar Lockâ€, which has a perfect scale of 156 I believe. I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts, or any other way to compare balls other than the “perfect scaleâ€? I just need something that hooks less. I am so comfortable with going “down and inâ€, over the 2nd arrow – even for spares (I just move where I stand) and it’s worked so well for me in the past. Now, I feel like I’m starting bowling all over again. ;-/.
